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DESCRIPTION:Short synopsis\nIt is love at first sight between Manon Lescaut
and Des Grieux. But a sober lifestyle is not for Manon and she chooses to
be kept by a wealthy older man. Her craving for luxury lands her in priso
n and eventually results in her being deported to New Orleans\, where her
eventful life comes to a tragic end. In this infernal adventure\, Des Grie
ux\, driven by his blind\, obsessional love for Manon\, will leave no ston
e unturned in his efforts to follow her.\nGiacomo Puccini\nThe première o
f Manon Lescaut at the Teatro Regio in Turin on February 1st 1893 marked t
he first real success in Puccini’s young opera career. Its genesis\, how
ever\, had been anything but straightforward and it was a very long time b
efore the libretto\, based on Abbé Prévost’s novel Histoire du Chevali
er Des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut (1731)\, was finalized. As always Puccin
i was extremely demanding about the script and in the case of Manon Lescau
t no fewer than six authors were involved. Moreover\, the publisher Ricord
i had strong reservations about the choice of subject. He feared competiti
on from Massenet\, who had composed a successful opera after the same nove
l in 1884. But Puccini could not be dissuaded: “Manon is a heroine I bel
ieve in and therefore she cannot fail to win the hearts of the public\,”
he claimed. He did make sure his librettist would not be guided by the Fr
ench masterpiece. He underlined the difference in the title\, too: Manon L
escaut rather than just Manon. Around 1890 Puccini had only two operas to
his name: Le Villi (1884) and Edgar (1889). The latter had not entirely li
ved up to expectations. When we think that Puccini did not yet have a care
er worthy of mention and owed his first steps in the opera to the support
of Giulio Ricordi\, then he might well be accused of overconfidence with r
egard to Manon Lescaut. But his theatrical instinct had put him on the rig
ht track and the opera’s success with press and public proved him right.
With Manon Lescaut Puccini found his voice and he perfected his recipe fo
r success: a powerful drama centred on a woman in a futureless relationshi
p\, expressed in a score that manages to combine the legacy of Verdi and W
agner with catchy melodies and a suggestive orchestration.
DTSTART:20130126T200000
DURATION:PT1H0M0S
LOCATION:De Munt / La Monnaie
SUMMARY:Manon Lescaut - Opera
URL:http://www.lamonnaie.be/en/opera/239/Manon-Lescaut
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